China, Russia, 28 others sign agreement for World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization

Twenty-nine nations have entered into an agreement in Shanghai, China, to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, known as WAICO.

During the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Chinese leader, Xi Jinping declared that China will offer 5,000 opportunities for AI training and seminar programs to developing nations, in addition to fostering AI collaboration with various groups, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the League of Arab States, and the African Union.

According to the agreement, WAICO will function as an independent intergovernmental international organization based in Shanghai.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Chinese government by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Representatives from the 29 nations, which include Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, and Indonesia, have signed the agreement, thereby designating their countries as founding members of WAICO.

Among the attendees at the signing ceremony was United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with representatives from various countries and international organizations.

The organization is committed to upholding the principles of the UN Charter, engaging in extensive consultation and collaborative efforts for mutual benefit, and adhering to a people-centered approach, as stated in the agreement.

Its objective is to enhance international cooperation and global governance in the field of AI, ensuring that AI is advantageous, secure, and equitable, thus fostering its healthy and orderly development for the benefit of all humanity.

“China is prepared to collaborate with all stakeholders to capitalize on and tackle the opportunities and challenges presented by the development of artificial intelligence, adopting a more open mindset, pragmatic measures, and a long-term perspective,” Xi stated as translated by Google.

He emphasized that the advancement of AI should not be a “solo performance” by any single nation, but rather a “symphony of international cooperation,” asserting that China is “ready to be more open, engage in more practical actions, and adopt a more visionary outlook.”

These comments were made following the signing of the agreement in Shanghai to form the WAICO, which will be based in the city, as reported by the Chinese state media outlet Xinhua.

Xi also called for an enhancement of risk awareness, ensuring that AI remains “secure and controllable,” and is “always under human oversight,” while urging nations to reject the notion of “overstretching the national security concept in the realm of AI, or prioritizing one nation’s security over that of others.”

Although the Chinese president did not specify any country, the United States has enacted various export control measures aimed at limiting China’s access to advanced technology.

The U.S. began tightening these restrictions during President Donald Trump’s first term, which included placing Huawei on the Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2019.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, participated in the signing ceremony and signed the agreement to establish the WAICO on behalf of the Chinese government.